FOA certifications are designed to show a
progression of growth in knowledge, skills and abilities (we
refer to them as KSAs) in fiber optics. The CFOS certifications
are specifically designed to allow schools to offer specialized classes
for students who have already achieved CFOT status or who want to
specialize in FTTx.

At the basic level are the CFOT and CPCT
certifications that are generally achieved through a FOA-approved
training course that includes both classroom and hands-on exercises.
An alternate path to these certifications is to have field experience,
study the FOA reference materials and take a proctored
examination.

Specialist certifications are for those
with extensive experience or students in comprehensive training
programs. Installers achieving specialist certifications will have
developed excellent skills in their specialtyand their knowledge must
be extensive to allow passing the specialist exams.

Labs
As deemed important for each specialty.
Connector termination of various types by at adhesive/polish and
prepolished/splice method, multimode and/or SM, with the
connectors meeting performance (loss and reflectance) standards.
Splices using fusion and mechanical methods for single fibers
and ribbons.
Testing including insertion loss and OTDR tests including both
multimode and singlemode, using VFLs, etc.

Hands-On Lab Recommendations
for FOA Certifications

These are
hands-on training sessions recommended for introducing students to
process involved and developing skills in those processes. While all
topics are recommended for CFOT level classes, The FOA recognizes the
actual labs included will depend on the focus of the CFOT class. More
advanced classes will have more comprehensive hands-on labs.